Rob’s Apology to InstallAware Software

Rob Mensching today issued his second apology to InstallAware Software, after his first apology about a decade ago.

It is quite extensive, so we’ll leave you to it without further ado:

“I regret having published my so-called apology about a decade ago, which was a thinly veiled hit-job against your company. While it sounded like an apology, it really wasn’t; as illustrated by the comments which followed my so-called apology.

I had been quite forceful in letting InstallAware Software know that I found it incredible they were trying make money selling installers, something which I strongly felt must be free at the time.

I have not been employed by Microsoft since 2013, and now I understand how hard it can be to actually make a living.

Moreover, I have become aware that my own behavior in charging WiX users for the WiX APPX Desktop Bridge, which is neither free nor open source, and certainly costs an `incredible` sum of money by my earlier standards applied against InstallAware Software, may come across as hypocritical to some.

Adding insult to injury, I have also become aware that the WiX platform has some significant performance and scalability shortcomings, in comparison to some other more stable installer platforms (hint-hint). This has been yet a deeper blow to me, as I thought people used WiX for its technical merits and engineering ingenuity, albeit its steep learning curve. Now these core assumptions of mine have been put into question – maybe it was just a matter of whom I knew instead of what I knew all along?

Having recently turned 40, I have found time to reflect on these core questions, and what I find certainly merits a second apology.”

All of us at InstallAware Software accept Rob’s apology above, which does seem heart-felt and genuine this time round.

We thank Rob’s press secretary, Ms. First, for having liaised between Rob and InstallAware Software in issuing this apology. As Ms. First told us over the phone: “Rob called me and said he had to get this thing off his chest, but didn’t know how. When I offered to do the heavy lifting for him, he was so relieved! `April,` he said, `you’re a life-saver!` I’m just glad I could help.”

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